<i>Gigartina skottsbergii</i> Setchell & NLGardner (Rhodophyta) Incorporated Organic@Inorganic Hybrid Cu₃(PO₄)₂ Nanoflowers with an Intrinsic Antioxidant and Catalytic Activities

In this study, the extract of one of the red algae, Gigartina skottsbergii was used for synthesis of organic@inorganic hybrid nanoflower (hNFs) for the first time. hNFs were sytematically synthesized with different concentrations of algal extract (from 0.5 to 1.65 ml) and Cu2+ in different pHs (7.4 and 9) of PBS. Hierarchical synthesis of hNFs in the PBS buffer did not occur in the acidic medium (pH: 5). The morphological structures of hNFs were detailed with FE-SEM images. hNFs synthesized in morphology closest to the ideal flower structure with variable algal extract concentrations and pH were determined by FE-SEM. Organic and inorganic groups (structural components of hNFs), crystallinity of optimum synthesized hNFs were detailed by FT-IR, EDX and XRD analysis, respectively. It has been recorded that synthesized hNFs have antioxidant properties. hNFs have captured catalytic dyes with peroxidase-like activity. The ability of hNFs in destroying the dye in the presence of H2O2 has been attributed to the Fenton reaction. As a result, an easily applicable, inexpensive, one-step catalyst was synthesized using the Fenton mechanism. It is foreseen that the study data can be applied for nanotechnology field and basic sciences.